Month: February 2014

… Wise are they, the Estonians, or economically or both. The snowshoes they strap under their feet in white winter, they also use in summer for hiking through the swamp landscape in the national park Soomaa. Because, according to hiking guide Aivar, weight distributing then will so good that even a heavyweight person can move over boggy ground and spring by as if on a trampoline. And it’s fun to do so. As a precaution, we also built boardwalks over the marsh, so that everyone can enjoy the scenery. One of the fens the Estonians have chosen as pond, with a wooden ladder helping the boarding. Very clever. …

Air Baltic offers its passengers from 1 March, a free shuttle bus between the airport Riga and several cities in Latvia and the two neighboring countries Estonia and Lithuania. Upon presentation of a valid airline ticket and passport Latvian airline passengers can use the buses (in advance to be booked) that run on a fixed schedule. They will operate between the airport and the bus stations in Latvian cities Valmiera, Jekabpils, Jelgava and Daugavpils and Tartu in Estonia and Siauliai in Lithuania, the company said.

The frozen surface of the Baltic Sea might be too slippery a ride for the more nervous motorist but for people living on the islands off Estonia’s coast, ice roads are a lifeline. Authorities hav e created three official routes this year – connecting Saaremaa and Hiiuumaa islands, Vormsi island and the mainland as well as the road across Haapsalu bay. Additional ‘non-official’ roads have been made by islanders. … read more via above link. There is also a short video.

…”Outside, under the winking stars, the beauty of Estonia become plain to see, if you know where to look. You’ll find it in pleasures of the cold and dark when they matter the most — the heat of hot chocolate, the tenderness of the lamb, the steam of the sauna, the softness of a comforter, the pressure of an embrace and the light of the stars. There, the country’s heart beats strongest and once captured, is yours forever. The secret to Estonia is Estonians don’t make friends, they make family. And it feels all the better in winter.”